Q: im 17 and have severe depression. i dont want counciling and i dont want to take pills. how can i fix myself?
Hi -
I agree with Judy about the need to get help, but if you just won't do that now you could start with some self-help books. Here are a couple that are written for teenagers, as opposed to their parents:
When Nothing Matters Anymore: A Survival Guide for Depressed Teens by Bev Cobain
Beyond the Blues: A Workbook to Help Teens Overcome Depression by Bev Cobain (not to be confuse with Beyond Blue by Therese Borchard)
The Anger Workbook for Teens: Activities to Help You Deal With Anger and Frustration by Raychelle Lohmann
I hope you'll look at these - or others you may find - as starting points. Anger and depression can be a lethal combination, and help from a mental health provider of some sort is something you really should consider.
John
Well, Dubtaters. My daughter is 15 and going through the same thing. She will all of a sudden start whaling and bawling! For no reason. She said she just felt something in her stomach. She can't eat when this happens and sleep is hard to get. But, I made her see her Regular Doctor. She prescribed a very mild Antidepressent. It seems to help. It was upped 10mg because she started feeling those feelings a bit. Since then she seem great! She just a week ago, got dumped by her boyfriend.... let me tell you a severely depressed person she became again. We talked things over and over and over again. She blasted him for lieing to her. 
But let me tell ya, she felt better. Anyway, she had no counciling but the meds including a mild tranquilizer helped her sleep one day. I hope this helps you in your battle with depression. I too have depression and anxiety. Go see your doctor, if you don't have one, you should really get one. Take care, let me know what happens, ok!! I care about your outcome. 
Well, when the two major treatments for depression are medication and therapy, and you are feeling this terrible, I wonder why you wouldn't want to try either one. There is no quick route to recovery from depression, unless you have some physical problem going on, such as a hormone imbalance of some kind which can be fixed - but most likely, if that's what it is, you'll need some kind of medication anyway. Everyone just wants to be happy and if it were easy to achieve, we'd all be there 
. I agree with Donna, I think you should first get yourself to a doctor for a physical and be sure to tell him/her all of the mood problems you've been having and then go from there. I wish you the best.
Hi Mate
I understand completely and have suffered depression most of my life - in my late teens I tried to commit suicide so believe when I say I know what you are going through.
Pills and therapy are a way for you to just get a break away from these feelings so you can look at things with a clearer head - it feels totally hopeless when you can nopt see an eend but it is NOT - you just need some headspace so you can think a little more clearly.
Something I would STRONGLY recommend you look at is 5-HTP - is a herbal supplement instead of an AD and I have had fantastic results - I wish I had found it earlier.
Within 4-5 days I could start to feel a difference and unlike AD's I didn't feel spacey or weird.
Don't be fooled - although it is a herbal supplement it is strong and you need to tread carefully - perhaps start at 50 mg for 4 or 5 days and judge how you feel and then slowly increase.
As always best to check with your doc.
Don't give up - its worth fighting for your life - there is SO much more out there then you can see right now.
Thinking of you
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